Read Online Vampire University (Book One in the Vampire University Series) by VJ Erickson - Free Book Online

demanded.
    “I WILL not!” she replied with the same force while quickly standing.
    Eric just sat there looking furious, his hands shaking. Suddenly any affection Taylor had for him vanished. Joseph and Hannah were right, she decided. This boy was trouble and she wanted very much to get away from him.
    She turned and walked a few paces towards the dorms and then stopped to look back at him. She was about to say something — good bye, good riddance, she wasn’t sure what — but he wasn’t looking at her. Instead he had his head down and was muttering to himself angrily. Taylor decided against interrupting and kept walking.
    Eric made no effort to follow.

-7-
     
    Taylor pushed open the door and immediately Hannah stood up and came to meet her. Taylor realized that she looked visibly upset but she didn’t have the strength to hide it. She felt sheepish admitting that Hannah was right.
    “Are you okay?” Hannah asked and then began visually inspecting Taylor’s face and neck.
    Taylor drew her hand to her face self-consciously and Hannah grabbed her hand and inspected that as well. Then she flipped Taylor’s hand over and inspected her arm. Satisfied, she grabbed the other and did the same. Taylor didn’t know what to make of this.
    “Did he hurt you?” Hannah asked.
    “No,” Taylor said, pulling her hand away self-consciously. “He didn’t touch me.”
    Hannah regarded her suspiciously.
    “What did he do?” she asked.
    “He got really creepy on me so I left him."
    Hannah walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge. She massaged her temples  and did not look at Taylor.
    “How is it that you knew about him? Am I just a terrible judge of character?” Taylor asked.
    “Look,” said Hannah, “this isn’t working this way. I need to be honest with you.”
    “Honest?”
    Taylor had been suspicious of Hannah’s intentions, but she had not imagined that she was being lied to.
    “There’s something you need to know about Eric and Joseph,” Hannah began. “They’re both dangerous, but not for the reason you think.”
    Hannah paused for a moment to consider her next words.
    “The thing is... they’re... they’re vampires.”
    Taylor rolled her eyes.
    “Yeah, Joseph said that," said Taylor. "But I don’t know what that means. Is it, like, a religious thing?”
    “No, it means exactly what you don’t think it does. They’re vampires. Actual vampires."
    “What, like ‘I want to suck your blood’ vampires?”
    “Something like that."
    Taylor wasn’t sure how to respond to this. Whatever Joseph thought he was, apparently Hannah believed him. She had felt safe when she saw Hannah, but now she was beginning to feel uncomfortable around her as well.
    “Of course you don’t believe me,” said Hannah. “Look, did you notice anything weird about his teeth?”
    “His teeth? No. He had perfectly nice teeth.”
    Hannah frowned.
    “His eyes? How about his eyes? Anything unusual?”
    “No?"
    Taylor told herself that she was just seeing reflections when she caught glimpses of shadows in Eric's eyes and felt a little crazy for indulging any ideas otherwise.
    "You don't sound sure about that," said Hannah.
    "Look Hannah. It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just, well... I don’t believe you. How would you even know any of that?”
    Hannah looked down at her hands for a moment and then back up at Taylor.
    “Because I’m a vampire too,” she replied.
    Taylor took a step back nervously and knocked over her chair in the process. It landed with a heavy thud.
    “I... I... don’t know what to think,” said Taylor.
    She was beginning to believe Hannah, but it seemed absurd to admit aloud.
    Seeing Taylor’s fear, Hannah tried to comfort her.
    “I’m not dangerous though. I’m here to help you. Protect you,” said Hannah.
    Taylor took another step back.
    “So you’re a friendly... vampire?” Taylor asked, feeling self-conscious about the word.
    “Most of us are. But that doesn’t mean